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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. firm — decided
  3. roll — a cake
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mate — a friend
  6. current — of water
  7. roll — a list
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. current — happening now
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. board — a committee
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. firm — steady
  15. current — electric
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. date — the fruit
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pitch — completely
  24. firm — a company

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com